


This Fool Can No Longer Be Swayed

by Queen_Andr0meda



Category: Arrested Development
Genre: Backstory, Blow Jobs, Dubious Consent, Emotional Manipulation, Heavy Angst, M/M, Mentions of Sex, Prostitution, a little Hurt/Comfort near the end there, following people to their cars, mentions of stripping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-21
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-05-05 08:55:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,486
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14614620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Queen_Andr0meda/pseuds/Queen_Andr0meda
Summary: Gob didn’t really notice how aggressive the men would be, he didn’t notice he was crying until long after they were gone. All he noticed were the words.





	This Fool Can No Longer Be Swayed

**Author's Note:**

> This is really rough, so keep that in mind. Also, it's kind of upsetting, just to warn you in advance.
> 
> (Title taken from "The Long Grift" from Hedwig and the Angry Inch)

It was the spring of 1994, on the outskirts of Newport Beach, California. It was there, in a crowded bar known as The Manhole, that Gob Bluth found himself sitting alone. He hadn’t planned on ending up there, he had just driven until he found a place that was sufficiently busy. Another year of the same. He had turned twenty-six that day and his family had forgotten, yet again; but he didn’t mind that much. With all these people around him, it was almost like the birthday party he had always wanted.

He had gone by relatively unnoticed for most of the night, patrons walking up next to him to get their drinks before leaving again. Gob sighed. He thought being around other people would make him less lonely, but the exact opposite was happening. He felt smaller than he could ever remember feeling before; and he figured that was as good a cue as any to leave. He tossed back the rest of his drink, hesitating another moment.

“Can I buy you another drink?” A strange, deep voice said to Gob’s left, close enough that Gob could feel the man’s breath on his neck.

Gob looked up and stared at the stranger. He was significantly older than Gob, a decade at the very least, and taller by a couple inches. His eyes were intense and off-putting, but Gob had trouble looking away. Gob swallowed the lump he could feel forming in his throat and answered meekly, “I shouldn’t. I’ve already got quite a tab going.”

That didn’t matter, his paycheck from the Bluth Company was enough to pay for a dozen bar tabs. But the man stayed, his right hand gasping Gob’s arm as he slid a few bills across the counter with the other. “That should cover it just fine.” He stepped even closer, moving his finger to rest underneath Gob’s chin, “Now, what’s a pretty, little thing like you doing here all by yourself?”

Gob glanced around the bar, trying to avoid eye-contact, but he ran out of places to look. He wasn’t exactly sure what was happening, which made him uneasy; but he steeled himself to respond. “I figured it was less pathetic than drinking by myself at home.”

“You’re cute.” The man smiled, causing Gob’s eyes to widen. He’d never been called that before. It was disarming, and he wasn’t sure what to say. The man chuckled, presumably at Gob’s surprised expression. “What’s your name, Gorgeous?”

“Uh, i-i-it’s, um G-Gob?” He stuttered out, and then immediately berated himself mentally for the slip in confidence.

“Well then, Gob,” The man leaned in and whispered, “follow me, and there’s more where that came from.”

As he pulled away, the man gestured towards the money with his head. Gob took a moment to look at the pile of cash, which had some high value bills among them. He glanced at his own hands and found a similar collection of bills. Gob’s eyes travelled back up to meet the man’s, nodding slightly as his brow creased. The man winked, before slowly turning and making his exit. Gob looked at the money again, then the door through which the man left. He still didn’t entirely understand the situation. It was like he was staring at a puzzle, but the pieces couldn’t quite fit together properly. Despite this, for whatever reason, Gob chose to follow the man.

The night was dark, and Gob scanned the parking lot for the strange man. Walking further, near the end of the line of cars, Gob heard a low whistle. Gob moved towards the noise.

“I’m glad you decided to take me up on my offer.” The man was clearly visible now, his eyes more intense than ever.

Gob started, “What do you m-” his question cut off by the man pushing Gob against the nearest car and jamming his tongue into the Bluth’s mouth. He tried to speak, but it only came out as a muffled, “mmmffmm.”

“Shhhh…” The man whispered as he pulled away, one hand was cradling Gob’s face, while the other meandered towards Gob’s hips. “You’re so pretty, Gob. I want to fuck you so bad.”

Gob inhaled sharply, his brain suddenly connecting all the pieces. The flirting, the money, the sketchy parking lot. He barely had a chance to register it all when the man’s mouth was crashing into his own again. In another moment, Gob was kissing him back for reasons Gob couldn’t quite articulate. The man moaned into the connection, and Gob could feel something stiffen against his leg. After about a minute, the man was grinding his hips forward into Gob’s, and Gob felt himself moan against his better judgement. Mouths still connected, the man grabbed Gob and moved him around so the man himself was the one against the car.

With this newfound accessibility, the man’s hands travelled to Gob’s ass, grabbing it for a moment before bringing them back up to Gob’s shoulders. From there he pushed down, and Gob gradually fell to his knees in front of the man.

The man looked down, gently stroking Gob’s hair. “You’re the only one who can make me feel good, Gob. Don’t you want to make me feel good?”

Gob kept his head straight, but shifted his eyes upward to the man now towering above him. He nodded, curtly. The man unbuckled his belt and let his pants fall around his ankles. Then, Gob took the liberty to grab the waistband of the man’s briefs and slide them down as well. He clenched his eyes shut, only opening them when he heard his name being softly murmured and felt a hand grip his hair.

What he saw startled him just as much as he expected. He stared at it for a moment, unsure of what he was supposed to be doing with it. Gob grasped it, looking up for confirmation of his next step; but the man had leaned his head back, a groan leaving his lips.

Gob figured it didn’t hurt to ask, “What do you want?”

To which, the man replied with, “I want to fuck your perfect little mouth, Gob.”

Gob leaned in, taking the man’s cock in his mouth. He started with just the tip, carefully swirling his tongue around it.

The man moaned, “God, Gob, you’re so good.” His hands dug tighter into Gob’s hair, pulling his head closer, forcing himself further into Gob’s mouth.

Gob choked a little at the sudden intrusion, but swallowed around it and kept going. The man groaned as Gob pulled back, teeth lightly grazing the underside of the man’s shaft; going down once more.

He built to a rhythm and, despite being a complete novice, he seemed to be doing alright. The man was noisy, an echo of praise drifting down to Gob’s ringing ears.

“Fuck, Gob, you’re doing such a good job.”

“Right there, Gob, you’re amazing”

“Feels so good, Gob.”

It was obvious that Gob was being taken advantage of, that the man was utilizing Gob’s apparent desire for validation. But, unfortunately, Gob was too distracted by the words coming from the man’s lips, as well as the cock down his throat to realize that. The man was still gripping Gob’s hair tightly, his hips now bucking forward to meet Gob’s mouth. Gob could feel warm tears running down his cheeks, but he was trying his best to fight through the pain.

“Ooohhh, fuck, Gob,” the man whined, his voice rough and breathy, “you’re so fucking good at this. I wish I could fuck you all the time.”

The man’s moans became louder as he climaxed. As he pulled out, Gob could taste the man’s seed in his mouth, the rest spraying over his face. Gob shut his mouth, and kept it closed as he collapsed on the ground.

As the man crouched to pull up his pants, he paused to cup Gob’s cheek and say softly through a sinister smile, “You did such a good job, Gob.” And for good measure added, “I’m proud of you.”

Gob stared back, eyes wide. The man reached into his wallet, dropping another wad of cash into Gob’s lap. After the man had climbed into his car and driven away, Gob still just sat there. He spat out the jizz that was still in his mouth, and wiped the rest off of his face with his jacket sleeve. He absently flipped through the cash, only $100; plus, of course, the $80 from before. Still, the amount was disappointing, especially for what was apparently such a good job.

Huh, no one had ever said they were proud of him before. Against his better judgement, Gob smiled.

 

* * *

 

It continued like that for a while. After you suck a guy off for money in the parking lot of a gay bar, you get a reputation. Gob would go to one bar or another, he’d be approached by a man waving cash and complimenting him. He’d follow them to their car, and do whatever they begged him to. They’d tell him how good he was, and Gob would get money out of it as well. It was what he saw as a ‘win-win’. Gob didn’t really notice how aggressive the men would be, he didn’t notice he was crying until long after they were gone. All he noticed were the words. The sweet words of assurance and validation that he’d always hoped to hear, but that couldn’t be provided by his family.

Gob _was_ smart enough to set up some ground rules. He had his don’ts and his can’ts. He had gotten lucky with first guy, but he made sure any subsequent ones were wearing condoms. It was just too risky.

He wasn’t sure how long it went on for. Several months at least. The men’s words persisted, but as Gob was left sitting alone on the cold asphalt, they started losing their meaning. Eventually, many of them stopped completely, preferring to simply grunt into Gob’s shoulder as they pumped him from behind.

He had mentioned it to Michael who, instead of giving advice, looked at Gob with disgust.

“So you’re a prostitute.” He had said

“No! I’m not a prostitute, Michael!” Gob defended, “I just let guys do things to me and they give me--”

“Money and compliments?” Michael finished for him. “That’s a prostitute, Gob. Jesus, do you really need validation that badly?”

 _Did he?_ He tried to stop, but after a week around his family calling him a mistake, an idiot, a disappointment, Gob found himself filled with the desire to return. Then it fell into a pattern. He tried to quit at least once a month, but he was always dragged back in. Lured by a strong hand on his cheek, telling him he’s perfect.

It took about another year for the spell to wear off. Fewer customers were seeking his services, and the ones that did were the worst kinds of men. Callous, abusive men with few kind words, and little cash in their pockets. He stayed because it was the only thing he was good at.

 

* * *

 

Six months later, now well into 1996, Gob stood outside a different bar. A neon sign spelled out _The Little Ballroom_. He was relieved to have found new ground. As he sat at the bar, he was approached by a man speaking his name. It was a stranger, but Gob supposed that the kind of men who pay some random guy for sex aren't the kind who value privacy. Gob downed the last of his cocktail and within ten minutes he was being bent over the hood of this stranger’s car.

The number of incidents slowed down after that. He only went out a couple times a month, and sometimes he’d get lucky and not be approached at all. The times he was approached he found himself unable to refuse for whatever reason.

Months went on and nearing the end of 1997, Gob was approached with a very different offer. It was another guy much like Gob, meaning hotter and younger.

“You’re Gob, right?” The young man asked without a trace of flirtation in his tone and a reassuring smile on his face. Gob nodded slowly, and the young man continued, “I’ve heard a lot about you… I was hoping we might run into each other. I’m Derek.”

Gob considered Derek’s outstretched hand for a moment before shaking it. “Why did you want to meet me?”

“I want to hire you. It’ll pay more, you’ll still get plenty of compliments, and you won’t even have to fuck anyone. Just think about it and give us a call. We could use a hot, eager guy like you.” He slipped a card into Gob’s hand, shooting him a playful wink before walking away.

That offer _did_ sound good. He looked down at the card, ‘The Hot Cops’ it read. Gob had heard about them, the gay stripper agency. Gob guessed stripper was a step up from freelance prostitute. He pocketed the business card and smiled vaguely. He had his ticket out. He was free.

Just as he thought this, an older man sidled up to the bar, grabbing Gob’s ass and sliding a few twenties in front of him.

 _Spoke too soon_ , Gob thought. He’d dug this hole too deep and he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to be free.  


* * *

 

“Gobie?” The voice was distant, lingering outside Gob’s consciousness. “Gobie, Baby? Are you alright?”

The voice became louder and more frantic, and Gob felt a hand grab his shoulder and shake it. Gob blinked; the memories built up around him crumbling one by one. A few more blinks and he was snapping back to reality. He wasn’t sure what had just happened. When had he started crying?

He glanced around, quickly surveying his surroundings. He was in an apartment; not his own, but still familiar, homey. The front door was wide open, several bags discarded in the entryway. He was sitting on a couch, and on the ground at his knee was Tony Wonder, whose attractive face was warped with concern and streaked with tears. Gob became aware of Tony’s hand on his arm, gently rubbing it.

“Tony?” Gob croaked out hoarsely. Tony’s eyes widened and he clambered to join Gob on the couch, capturing him in an embrace.

“Oh my God, Gobie, I was so worried!” Tony said, struggling through freshly falling tears. “I came home and you were sitting there motionless and crying. I couldn’t seem to draw you out of it.”

Tony’s words were rushed, his arms tightening around Gob’s shoulders. Gob reached forward and wrapped his arms around Tony’s waist.

“Don’t you ever scare me like that okay,” Tony mumbled into Gob’s shirt, pressing a soft kiss to Gob’s neck. “I love you so much, Gob”

And for the first time in the forty-four years of his life, Gob truly believed it.


End file.
